


And Then She Blinked

by lazilycoolllama



Series: Sci-Fi One Shots [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 13:19:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15220001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazilycoolllama/pseuds/lazilycoolllama
Summary: She stared up at the sky. For a moment, everything was exactly the same. The same stars, the same constellations, the same moon.And then she blinked.





	And Then She Blinked

Everything was quiet.

Not silent.

Just quiet.

Niko walked along the street. A river to her right, rushing its way towards the ocean in the distance. A few ducks slept in a huddle on a boardwalk, and a chorus of frogs croaked somewhere unseen. On her left was a stone wall. Graffiti covered it; designs and pictures blended into each other. A few trees lined the wall, their leaves poking over the top to say hello to the vacant road above. Everything was still and peaceful; muted by the darkness.

The sky strangely alive for being in a city. Stars sparkled, and the moon illuminated the world with her glow. Sticking her hands in her jacket pockets, Niko looked up at the sky. There were all the constellations she had grown up loving. Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Orion, Ursa Major, and the Dippers. As she watched them, they seemed to come alive.

It wasn’t cold out, but Niko still shivered.

She walked for what felt like forever, but the road never changed. The graffiti shifted, slowly flowing into one long painting of a woman sleeping along the river. Her body was shades of browns and greens. Trees grew from her curves, and her form blended into the stone around her. The noises around her rose and fell, sometimes sounding like they were underwater.

Everything was quiet.

There was a bench. A simple wooden bench resting in the hand of the woman. Niko sat, pulling her knees to her chest.

She stared up at the sky. For a moment, everything was exactly the same. The same stars, the same constellations, the same moon.

And then she blinked.

In an instant the sky changed. Billions of more stars filled the sky, some so massive they were more like marbles than specks. The moon was no long the only rock in the sky. Several more moons were scattered across the sky, and faint planets could be seen in the distance. The world around her was still dark, but it felt like every particle was shivering with delight at the beautiful sky.

Niko stared, mouth agape. She was almost afraid to blink again, scared that if she did it would vanish. As she stared, she suddenly became aware that she was not alone.

Sitting next to her, a content smile upon his face, was a man. He wore clothing that looked like it had been pulled from the 1940s. His hat was tipped back, revealing a worn and kind face. A gnarled cane rested in his equally gnarled hands. He stared at the sky.

Before Niko even had a chance to ask who he was, or if he had noticed the sudden change, he spoke.

“This is what the universe really looks like,” He said, his voice warm and deep. It reminded Niko of her grandfather, and memories of summers spent naming constellations on his farm returned to her.

“Oh,” She said. She looked back at the sky. She wondered if those planets held life. Worlds like her own that were home to creatures who also looked at the sky and wondered if they were alone. She wondered if this is what they saw when they looked up into the night sky. Maybe they didn’t see the universe like this either.

Looking back at the man, Niko asked, “Can you put it back?”

The man nodded, and when she looked back the sky is normal again. A single moon, and a few stars spattered across the sky. It was still beautiful, but in a simple way. It was like comparing the Sistine Chapel to a daisy. One complex and full of depth and hard work, the other simple and ordinary. Both beautiful in their own way.

“What…” Niko started, looking back at the man. “What do I do with this information?”

The man finally turned to her, his eyes meeting her own. They were alight with wonder and laughter, but she could also sense the sadness in those lines. He smiled.

“Be careful.”


End file.
